A New Reality
by AccordingToMel
Summary: He was empty – physically, mentally and emotionally – as the weight of the situation finally crashed down upon his shoulders, and it was all he could do to stay upright. SPOILERS for Episode 37.
1. Chapter 1: Matsuda

As he stepped cautiously into the darkened building, he noticed a figure on the stairs

**Title:** A New Reality

**Author:** AccordingToMel

**Summary: **He was empty – physically, mentally and emotionally – as the weight of the situation finally crashed down upon his shoulders, and it was all he could do to stay upright.

**Rating:** T (Just because I think the subject matter is too mature for K)

**Spoilers:** The entire series, though specifically episode 37

**Word Count:** 2,309

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. Too poor to be able to afford them, unfortunately.

**Author's Note:** So this is my first published fanfic, though not the first I've ever written. After watching the final episode of Death Note my heart just broke for Matsuda. For everyone really, but specifically for him. Somehow I think that he would be hit the hardest by everything that happened. Anyway, this story was my way of helping me deal with my own sadness over the ending of the best series I have ever watched.

Not my best work, but generally I'm pleased with the outcome. Please don't hesitate to provide me with constructive feedback, because I always want to grow as a writer.

Finally, thanks for reading!

**Chapter 1: Matsuda**

He couldn't think. He couldn't concentrate. He couldn't breathe. The only thing he knew was that Mikami was bleeding to death from a self inflicted wound and that Light was escaping. And that Near was talking. But he wasn't really listening anymore.

"…If we leave him alone, his movements will stop," Near finished with a sense of confidence. Matsuda wanted to punch him. But he wasn't in the mood to stand up and turn around to face the man. Fortunately he didn't have to do anything, as his colleague stepped in instead.

"Near, I won't listen to your instruction," Aizawa informed the young man, and Matsuda was thankful that he had the courage to say what they all were thinking.

Matsuda heard a grunt come from Near, followed by momentary silence. He still couldn't see Near's face, but he imagined it held an expression of both shock and resignation.

"I understand…" he finally replied. "I'll leave him to you," was his only response. But Matsuda sincerely doubted that Near understood. Near couldn't possibly understand how he felt…what he was going through. Near couldn't know of the betrayal and the rage that was coursing through his body. He couldn't possibly comprehend everything that Matsuda – that everyone – had experienced. And he certainly didn't understand Light…didn't _know_ him.

_And you do?_ the voice in his head demanded. _What do you know, you stupid, naïve fool? You trusted him…you trusted Kira! What does that say about you?_

Matsuda cringed inwardly and heaved a sigh as he watched the rest of the police force exit the warehouse. After a moment, he too was standing. And in a flash, Matsuda was out the door of the warehouse, frantically searching for the direction Light had gone. Luckily for him – and unluckily for Light – a trail of blood outlined the path the runaway had taken. Ignoring cries from Aizawa and Mogi, Matsuda broke away from the group and tore off in the direction that he assumed would lead him to Light.

Matsuda shook his head bitterly, fighting against the anger that had been continually building. Light had been his friend. Or so he'd thought. Matsuda was young, and he knew he was a bit naïve. He was bold and impulsive and often acted without first considering the consequences of his actions. But he meant well and he had a good heart, which inspired his feverish dedication to justice and to finding the murderer that was Kira. Above all else, though, Matsuda was unquestionably trusting and hopelessly loyal. To learn that one of his friends hadn't cared about him in the least hurt deeply. But to learn that the last six years of his life had been lived in the vortex of one humongous lie was enough to break the toughest of men…a category to which Matsuda did not belong and probably never would.

Matsuda rounded a corner and was met with a wire mesh fence that overlooked the train yard. There were only two options…and the thin trail of blood indicated that Light had turned right. Matsuda thought he could see Light off in the distance, and this knowledge filled him with a renewed feeling of anger and disgust. How many times had Light been accused of being Kira? And how many times had Matsuda defended Light? There was only one painful thought that kept racing through his mind: _Light is Kira. Light is __**Kira**__. __**Light**__ is Kira._ It was almost too much for him to bear. He wasn't entirely sure what he planned to do when he finally caught up to Light, but he knew he had to do something…

A few moments later he heard the distinct sound of hurried footsteps, followed by someone calling his name.

Matsuda slowed his pace ever so slightly, but ignored the person attempting to garner his attention.

"Matsuda!" the voice cried out again, and this time a hand on his arm indicated that his assailant was not about to be ignored. Matsuda whipped around to glare at Aizawa, tearing his arm out of the older man's firm grip. Ide stood idly behind him, but Matsuda wasn't concerned with the other man at the moment.

"What do you want? I've got some important business to take care of!" he directed at Aizawa.

"Like what?" came the instantaneous reply.

Matsuda glanced in the direction that Light had headed, but kept quiet.

"Killing Light isn't going to make you feel better," Aizawa stated calmly.

Matsuda scowled, roughly running his right hand through his hair and shook his head. He didn't have time to deal with Aizawa right now.

"Maybe not. But at least this whole Kira nightmare will finally be over," he said at last, turning abruptly on his heel and heading in the direction that Light had gone.

After only a few feet Matsuda heard footsteps behind him and knew that Aizawa was close on his heel.

"Whatever happens to Light now is out of our hands," Aizawa murmured softly, sadness tingeing his voice. "Do you really want his death on your head?"

Matsuda stopped abruptly, but kept his face turned away from the older man.

"What about all the deaths on _his_ head? One hardly compares to the tens of thousands of people Light was responsible for killing," Matsuda spat angrily.

"You're right," Aizawa admitted, stepping closer to the younger man. "But you and I both know what can happen when we take justice into our own hands."

Silence hung in the air for at least a minute as both men contemplated the profound truth of the statement. The quiet was finally broken when Matsuda sighed audibly, feeling some of his anger deflate. It was true, and he hated that Aizawa was right. He couldn't understand how the older man could keep such a calm demeanour after everything that had just happened.

"Fine," Matsuda muttered dismissively, turning to glace briefly at Aizawa. "But I've got some questions for Light and I'm sure as hell not going to let him get away before I have my answers."

It only took the two men a few minutes to find the building that Light had entered. It was another abandoned warehouse, not unlike the one Near had summoned the group to initially. The interior looked dark, but the door hung open, swaying gently in the wind. It was without a doubt where Light had ended up.

Matsuda knew that Light was in no physical condition to overpower him, but even the weakest and most pitiful people were capable of amazing feats when pushed to desperation. And at this very moment in time, Light was possibly the most desperate man Matsuda had ever met. Before entering the warehouse he pulled out his gun and held it close to his body. As Matsuda stepped cautiously into the darkened building, he noticed a figure lying on the stairs. He let out a shallow breath, and took a few hesitant steps forward. Halting unexpectedly, he felt Aizawa bump into him, but Matsuda barely registered this fact as his eyes remained fixed on the person on the stairs.

"Light…?" Matsuda called out, voice soft but confident. Light remained eerily still.

Matsuda took another cautious step toward the body on the stairs. "Answer me, Yagami Light!"

Nothing. Not a word or a flinch or anything that would even suggest that Light had heard him.

Matsuda was about to open his mouth again when he noticed the pool of blood that seemed to literally be dripping off and around the staircase that held the young brunette. There was more than he would have expected, and suddenly a new reality dawned on him. Matsuda had planned on confronting Light – a weak, hurt Light. But he hadn't considered the fact that Light might not last long enough to face confrontation…or a prison cell. It was enough to make his blood run cold.

Taking a deep breath, Matsuda took several steps forward so that he was only a few feet from the body. "Light?" he asked softly, trepidation tingeing his once confident voice. It was only then that he was able to look – to actually _look_ at Light – and the sight that met his eyes filled him with a sense of terror and shock.

Light looked dead. His eyes were closed and his face pale. Blood still slowly dripped from his wounds – the wounds _Matsuda_ had caused. And he wasn't moving. But he couldn't be satisfied until he knew for sure that Light…_Kira_…was dead.

Agony and sorrow wracked his body, filling him with a sense of dread and despair. This kid…this man…had been a friend and a colleague. A confidant and an ally. A murderer…and an enemy. How was it possible that they had spent six years – _SIX YEARS_ – working alongside the very man they were trying to bring to justice? It was enough to crush his soul.

Tentatively, Matsuda approached Light. He could feel the blood soak into the soles of his shoes…hear the soft squish beneath his feet…but he didn't care. He reached out a shaky hand that hovered over Light's bloody left wrist, the one he had shot. But he couldn't seem to force his muscles to move. Matsuda suddenly found that it was difficult for him to see, until a hot streak of liquid ran down his left cheek. He blinked, and another one fell.

He was stupid. He was so incredibly and utterly stupid.

Another tear slipped silently down his cheek as he looked down at the body in front of him. Matsuda placed his gun back in its holster and brought his right hand up to Light's neck. Pressing his fingers to the warm skin under Light's chin, Matsuda waited to feel the beat of a heart that he already knew would never beat again. With his free hand he wiped at the tears that continued to spill down his face as the seconds slowly ticked by.

1…2…3…

Nothing.

4…5…6…

Too much time had passed already.

7…8…9…

It should have beat by now. Matsuda knew this. But he couldn't bring himself to remove his hand.

10…11…12…

This was getting ridiculous.

"Damn it Light," Matsuda cried, suddenly furious again. "This isn't funny!"

He abruptly reached down and shook the youth on the stairs, screaming at him to get up and stop pretending. But Light remained deathly still, and Matsuda felt his resolve crumble. This was not how things were supposed to end. This was not the Light he knew. This wasn't right at all…

Light. Light Yagami. The son of Chief Soichiro Yagami. A man with a brilliant mind and a bright future. His friend…

_No!_ Matsuda shook his head. Not his friend. His enemy. Light was his enemy, never his friend. And now…now he was dead.

Dead.

In an instant, a sudden wave of nausea washed over Matsuda, and he jumped away from Light as the contents of his stomach erupted from his body. Wave after wave of nausea hit him until nothing was left but dry heaves. He was empty – physically, mentally and emotionally – as the weight of the situation finally crashed down upon his shoulders, and it was all he could do to stay upright. Sinking slowly to his knees, a gut-wrenching sob escaped his throat. Followed by another…and another.

Matsuda buried his face in his hands, pressing his body to the cold floor as the sobs continued to wrack his body. He cried for the deaths of Ukita and L. He cried for the death of Chief Soichiro Yagami. He cried for all the innocent people who had been struck down by Kira. He cried for the six years of life that had been wasted for so many people. He cried for the death of Light and the loss of his own innocence. He cried for the injustice of it all. But mostly he cried for the anger, the betrayal and the sorrow he felt. Because he'd loved Light like a brother. And even in spite of everything that he now knew, Matsuda still loved him…

A few moments later, he felt a hand come to gently rest on his shoulder. For a moment Matsuda considered the fact that he probably looked ridiculous sobbing on the floor next to a pile of his own vomit. It was like a scene from a really bad horror movie, except that the horror was real and his emotions were genuine. But when he finally looked up to meet Aizawa's eyes, and saw the sorrow and the compassion that they held, he knew that none of that mattered.

It took him a few moments to finally compose himself and Aizawa waited patiently beside his friend. Matsuda sniffed once more and rubbed his hands on his pants in an attempt to rid them of the blood and tears they held.

"Come on. We have to get going," Aizawa finally muttered, standing up and turning towards the body lying on the stairs.

"What are you doing?" Matsuda questioned, standing on shaky legs and wiping at his face one final time.

"We can't just leave him here," Aizawa answered, motioning to Light. Matsuda nodded in agreement but remained silent.

The older man took a few steps up the stairs and knelt down beside the body of the once lively man they had all grown to care for. Aizawa hesitated for a brief moment before finally setting his jaw and fixing his expression. Then in one swift motion the older man scooped up Light's body and held him close.

"Let's go," he said, making his way towards the door.

Matsuda followed dutifully, closing the warehouse door behind them. And as they stepped back into the light of day, Matsuda knew that the nightmare was finally over. But it would be a long time before he would ever forget the man who was Light Yagami.


	2. Chapter 2: Aizawa

**Title: **A New Reality

**Author: **AccordingToMel

**Summary: **Somewhere along the line they had become his family too. Maybe that was why he felt his heart constrict as he looked at the two youths in front of him. It was a sickening sight that he knew he would not soon forget, and he wasn't sure he had ever witnessed anything so utterly heartbreaking in his life.

**Rating:** T

**Spoilers:** The entire series, though specifically episode 37

**Word Count:** 3,029

**Disclaimer:** I don't own them. If I did, L's demise would have been less tragic and more fitting.

**Author's Note:** This is the ending from Aizawa's POV. It is a companion to the previous chapter. I felt that Aizawa's reaction was quite strong and quite unique as well. Also, I couldn't remember if Aizawa had more than one kid, so apologies if that information is incorrect. Otherwise, thanks for reading! And constructive criticism is welcome.

/

**Chapter 2: Aizawa**

It wasn't like he hadn't known. Aizawa might not have been a Rhodes Scholar…but he was no idiot. If his years in the police force hadn't taught him to hone his observational skills and challenge the presented facts, then he really couldn't call himself much of a cop. But he was a good cop – and a damn good one at that. Granted, it had taken him much longer to figure out the truth that L had always known…but L was in a class of his own, and it wasn't fair to compare. Aizawa, like any other man, had his limitations; he wasn't one to downplay or deny them. There was so much insincerity in the world these days as it was.

So when Light had finally admitted to being Kira, the shock of the revelation was minimal. He wouldn't lie and claim that he didn't feel like he'd been punched in the stomach, because he had. No matter how certainly you could think you knew something, it was only theory until you had complete and utter confirmation of the facts. Unfortunately Aizawa and the rest of the group now had that confirmation. He supposed he should have felt some sense of satisfaction in being correct in his suspicions. Or even relief that Kira was finally caught. But he felt neither, and instead was overcome with a feeling of disgust and sorrow. It was an uncomfortable mix that made his head swim.

The next few minutes seemed to pass by in a blur for Aizawa as his brain struggled to comprehend everything that was going on. One minute Light was confessing to thousands of murders and claiming that no one else could have done what he had done, and the next minute Matsuda had shot his arm. Then Light was screaming at Matsuda to kill everyone and help him. The display was possibly the most genuine emotional reaction that Light had ever displayed in all the years that Aizawa had known him. Then again, Light was a brilliant actor and it was hard to know for sure if even _this_ was real.

Suddenly Matsuda was trying to kill Light, and it was at this point that his brain snapped into action. Lunging for the younger man, Aizawa was able to intervene before he took the life of his supposed friend. The next thing he knew, Mikami was attempting to take his own life and Light had escaped. This knowledge sent a wave of anxiety through Aizawa that he couldn't quite explain, and all he knew was that he needed to go after Light.

"Mr. Aizawa!" Near's voice stopped him in his tracks as he was headed out the door.

"He shouldn't have any more hidden notes. And he can't get far with those wounds… If we leave him alone, his movements will stop," Near declared, as though he had just made an important decision.

Aizawa grunted, a mix of both surprise and anger evident in the sound. Was this guy serious? Leave Light alone? The thought was so preposterous that Aizawa had to fight to keep a scowl off his face. He'd spent the last six years taking orders from someone else, often times ignoring his own instincts and theories. It occurred to him that perhaps someone else's death could have been prevented if he'd just followed his gut in the first place. No…leaving Light to die alone was not an option, no matter what Near seemed to think.

"Near, I won't listen to your instruction," Aizawa stated firmly in a tone that indicated that this was not up for debate.

Near seemed to freeze at the comment, a look of genuine surprise briefly crossing his delicate features. Aizawa found it mildly amusing – or would have, had the situation not been so dire – that after everything that had happened, Near chose _his_ disobedience to reveal his surprise. _Bloodly unbelievable._

"I understand," Near responded once he'd recovered. Aizawa seriously doubted that he did, but who was he to argue? "I'll leave him to you." Near turned his face to the floor then, all previous hints of shock completely erased. Aizawa considered carrying on this conversation with the white haired boy, but one look at the rest of his comrades told him that now wasn't the time.

Shooting a pointed glare in Near's general direction, Aizawa practically ran out of the warehouse with Ide, Mogi and Matsuda. He turned to the group with every intention of organizing a search party for Light. Time was clearly of the essence at this point. This plan was abruptly turned upside down, however, when Matsuda ran stalking off in the opposite direction, a look of sheer determination etched into his features.

"Matsuda…?" Mogi called out, confusion lacing his voice.

Aizawa took a hasty step in the direction the youth had gone. "Matsuda!" he called out forcefully. But the young officer was already out of earshot. Or at the very least, pretended to be.

"What was that all about?" Ide asked no one in particular as he watched Matsuda's retreating form.

Aizawa sighed heavily, but chose to ignore the question. He knew full well what was going on with the kid, but it would take too much time to explain it to the others. "It's not important," he stated instead. "But what is important is that we find Light. Near is right that his movements will stop soon, but we still need to hurry." It was obvious that there was only one direction that Light could have headed in, but not wanting to leave any stone unturned, Aizawa sent Mogi around back to double check things before meeting up with Ide and him after.

The two officers jogged at a moderate pace in silence, Aizawa leading the way. He wanted to find Light, but his primary concern was currently Matsuda. The kid was like a ticking time bomb. If he found Light before they found him, who knew what he would do. Aizawa felt bad for Matsuda. He was the young, naïve and frustratingly impulsive member of the group who had more often then not driven Aizawa to the point of a migraine. Something like this hurt everyone…but it would hit Matsuda especially hard. He had always been a staunch supporter of Light, and it didn't take a genius to see that he worshipped the ground that the younger Yagami walked. A betrayal like this would not come easy, and in fact had not…as he'd already attempted to kill Light once. Given a second opportunity, Aizawa doubted that Matsuda would be able to stop himself from finishing the job.

A couple minutes later he finally caught up to the younger man. Calling out to Matsuda as he quickened his pace, he noticed that the youth was making every attempt to ignore him. But at least he slowed down slightly.

"Matsuda," Aizawa called for a second time as he finally reached his target. Quickly grabbing hold of his arm, he attempted to slow Matsuda's progress. But the younger man was having none of that as he turned to face Aizawa, wrenching his arm free from the older man's grasp.

"What do you want? I've got some important business to take care of!" Matsuda bit out, glaring angrily at his companion.

"Like what?" Aizawa immediately challenged, but relaxed his shoulders into a non-threatening posture. It was very possible – likely, in fact – that this would not go well.

Matsuda turned angry eyes in the direction that Light had gone, but surprisingly remained silent.

Underneath the surface of his anger, it was obvious that Matsuda was hurting more than anything else. The lovable, good natured, and intensely infuriating kid that Aizawa had grown to care for stood in front of him an entirely different person. He was most certainly furious about Light's betrayal, but Aizawa knew that Matsuda would never be able to forgive himself if he pulled the trigger and sentenced his friend to his final death.

"Killing Light isn't going to make you feel better," Aizawa finally told him in the calmest voice he could muster.

Matsuda looked ready to openly scoff in Aizawa's face, and he was surprised when the kid didn't. Instead, he scowled and ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head in disbelief. "Maybe not," he stated at last, "But at least this whole Kira nightmare will finally be over."

Before he knew it, Aizawa was once again trailing after a retreating Matsuda. "Whatever happens to Light now is out of our hands," he finally muttered, and was suddenly overcome with a feeling of immense sorrow. "Do you really want his death on your head?"

Matsuda stopped. He didn't turn around. But it was something.

"What about all the deaths on _his_ head? One hardly compared to the tens of thousands of people Light was responsible for killing," Matsuda exclaimed with as much venom as Aizawa had ever heard him muster.

"You're right," Aizawa hesitantly admitted as he took a cautious step forward. "But you and I both know what can happen when we take justice into our own hands."

Admittedly, the statement hurt Aizawa, but he couldn't pretend that it wasn't true. A heavy silence fell between the two men for several minutes as each contemplated the truth and reality of the comment. When Matsuda finally heaved a sigh – breaking the deafening silence – Aizawa found himself letting out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"Fine," Matsuda muttered, sounding defeated. He turned to glace briefly at Aizawa before refocusing his attention. "But I've got some questions for Light and I'm sure as hell not going to let him get away before I have my answers."

As Matsuda stalked off once again, Aizawa turned back to Ide. "Could you please go find Mogi-san?" he asked quietly, though both men knew that he was really saying, _'I need to go after Matsuda alone.'_ Mogi nodded quickly, and without another word, Aizawa went running after Matsuda and Light.

/

It didn't take them long to find the building that Light had entered. It was yet another abandoned warehouse, not unlike all the others that surrounded the area. The only difference was that this door was open and there was a trail of blood that led into the darkened interior that lay beyond.

Matsuda took out his gun and led the way into the warehouse. It was quite dark, even with the light from the windows and door, and Aizawa had to blink a few times before his eyes adjusted accordingly. He followed closely behind Matsuda, but he wasn't aware of how close they were until Matsuda stopped abruptly and Aizawa wasn't able to prevent himself from ramming the younger man from behind.

Aizawa grunted, and was about to comment, when he noticed something over Matsuda's shoulder. A body…on the stairs. That must have been the reason for Matsuda's sudden halt.

"Light…?" he heard the younger man ask.

After a moment of silence, Matsuda hesitantly stepped closer to the body. "Answer me, Yagami Light!"

When Light continued to remain perfectly still, Matsuda took another few steps forward. "Light?" he asked again, but this time his voice was soft…filled with hesitation, and something resembling agony. Finally Matsuda approached the body of his friend, and Aizawa allowed himself to step closer to the two of them, though he remained far enough away to avoid intruding on Matsuda.

Aizawa took this moment to finally look at Light, and when he did, he was surprised at what he saw. Light looked so weak…so fragile…so _lifeless_. If nothing else, the younger Yagami had always been full of life. His face was deathly pale now, and was spattered with his own blood. His long hair covered part of his face, but it was clear that his eyes were closed. Aizawa had never seen him look so…pitiful…and so young. But at the same time, he looked almost peaceful. Perhaps because he was finally free of the pain, and of the vice grip that the Death Note had on him in life. That thought somehow made him feel better, though he wasn't entirely sure why.

Aizawa focused his gaze back upon Matsuda, who was now approaching Light on the stairs. Hesitantly he reached up and pressed his fingers to Light's neck, undoubtedly checking for a pulse.

Aizawa unconsciously started counting the seconds in his head. By the time he reached eight he knew there wasn't much of a chance that Light's heart was still beating. But he waited patiently for Matsuda to reach the same conclusion, as much as the young man probably didn't want to.

"Damn it Light," Matsuda suddenly cried out, voice wavering on the edge of hysteria. "This isn't funny!" And then he began to shake the dead body of his friend, screaming at him to get up. It was a sight that nearly brought tears to Aizawa's eyes, and he had to viciously fight his body to push them back down.

The next thing Aizawa knew, Matsuda had jumped away from Light as though he were on fire. He barely made it away from the brunette before he began heaving up the contents of his stomach. This carried on for several minutes until there was literally nothing left in the young man's body. In the next instant, Matsuda had crumpled to the ground, sobbing hysterically as he pressed his face to the ground.

Aizawa felt his breath hitch as his gaze shifted between Light Yagami and Touta Matsuda, and once again he was fighting tears of his own. Aizawa had always been a family man. He wife and daughter meant the entire world to him, and there was nothing that he wouldn't do for either of them. But over the last six years he had spent more of his time with the Japanese Task Force than anyone else. Hirokazu Ukita, L, Soichiro Yagami, Hideki Ide, Kanzo Mogi, Touta Matsuda…and Light Yagami. Somewhere along the line they had become his family too. Maybe that was why he felt his heart constrict as he looked at the two youths in front of him. One lay dead as the lifeblood slowly dripped from his beaten body…the other was sobbing on the floor of the abandoned warehouse. It was a sickening sight that he knew he would not soon forget, and he wasn't sure he had ever witnessed anything so utterly heartbreaking in his life.

Without any hesitation, Aizawa knelt down beside Matsuda and placed a warm hand on his shoulder. It was such a small gesture, really. But Aizawa wanted the younger cop to know that no matter what…he still cared for and about him. When he was met with Matsuda's tear stained eyes Aizawa was filled with a sadness and compassion for his young friend that he had never felt before.

They remained like that for several more minutes, as Matsuda cried until he couldn't seem to cry any more. When it appeared as though he had managed to regain some semblance of control, Aizawa attempted to say something reassuring to him. But instead Aizawa found that he couldn't speak past the lump that had formed in his throat. Swallowing, he closed his eyes momentarily.

"Come on. We have to get going," the older man finally muttered when he managed to find his voice again. Giving Matsuda's shoulder one final squeeze, Aizawa stood and walked back towards Light's body on the stairs.

"What are you doing?" Matsuda asked after a moment.

"We can't just leave him here," Aizawa answered with a gesture towards Light, praying that his voice would not betray his emotions. Matsuda nodded silently in agreement.

He tentatively took a few steps and knelt down beside Light's body, feeling the pain of his sorrow beginning to rise. He loved Light like a son, and no matter what the boy had done…Shuichi Aizawa never abandoned family. He knew that technically this was a crime scene and that he should leave Light's body alone. But the truth of the matter was that he didn't care. The world would never be told who Kira had been. This much he knew as fact. There would be no investigation into his death…no trial…nothing. Only those present in the Yellow Box Warehouse would ever know Light Yagami's alternate identity. And in truth, the thought of leaving Light's body alone on the stairs of an abandoned warehouse was enough to make Aizawa sick too. If he did nothing else for himself, or Soichiro, or Matsuda…he would ensure that Light was not abandoned by those who loved him. Even though he had long since abandoned them.

Aizawa struggled to control his emotions as he gazed down at the man before him. So young. So much promise. Where did it all go so wrong? Aizawa gently brushed a strand of hair back from Light's face and a part of him wished he could just go back in time and somehow fix this. But he couldn't. Light's fate had been sealed the minute he'd first touched the Death Note and it was a harsh reality.

Aizawa heard the soft shuffle of feet, and it was then that he remembered that Matsuda was still watching him. The kid was a wreck, physically and emotionally. He needed strength right now…and so did Light. So with a new resolve, he banished the frown from his face and pressed his lips together in a firm line. In one quick movement, he gathered Light into his arms and stood up, clutching him tightly to his body.

"Let's go," he said quietly to Matsuda as he made his way towards the open warehouse door.

As they exited together – the three of them – with the sun sinking slowly on the horizon, Aizawa wondered what the future held now that Kira was finally gone from the world. It was impossible to say one way or the other. But one thing he knew for sure – Aizawa couldn't want to get home to his wife and daughter. He had already lost too much of his family…and he was determined to enjoy every minute he had left with those that remained. Life was a fragile thing, after all.


End file.
